The West Virginia Dept. of Transportation is approximately halfway through a three-year, 26-bridge rehabilitation/replacement effort along Interstate 70 in and around Wheeling. Swank Construction Co., general contractor for the $215-million project, is utilizing a variety of need-based repair methods for the structures, which range from 130 to 2,384 ft long. Work includes new decks and overlays, steel and concrete substructure repairs, elimination of deck joints and new coating systems. The project’s most disruptive assignment is a full replacement of the structurally deficient 1,200-ft-long Fulton Bridges, which necessitates extended closures of I-70 in one direction at a time for demolition and construction. The eight-month westbound bridge replacement was completed in October; work on the eastbound structure is set to begin in February 2021. Citing concerns over the health and safety of its workers, Swank voluntarily idled work on the project in March for two weeks because of COVID-19. Lower traffic because of the pandemic made it easier to complete the work ahead of schedule, the DOT has said. 

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